In Case of Fire

We just finished eating dinner and I was sitting here reading a couple of blogs.  Sniff... hmm... I smell smoke.  I stepped outside and, low and behold, there is smoke.  Oh.Boy.  It's that time of year, Southern California's other season:  Fire.

This was taken in 2003, the house on the left is ours

There were several brush fires burning along the 118 freeway.  It's currently about 30 acres with no structures threatened.  Fire crews are on the scene with three water-dropping helicopters assisting.  It is along the route that I had mapped out for Saturday's 18 miler.

I have always said I run for my health.  Yes, I enjoy it.  Yes, I'm training for another marathon.  But I will not go running (or cycling) in smoke filled air.  So in case of fire, no matter what the training plan says, smoke filled days are mandatory rest days.

7:20 p.m. update:  The fire is now 100% contained.  I still don't know if I'll run or ride in the morning, it will depend on any lingering smoke.  I haven't taken a rest day since Sunday, and my legs were telling me about it this morning.  So a rest day would be okay!

I Am a Runner

Today's Quote of the Day from Runner's World is this:

I AM A RUNNER because I run. Not because I run fast. Not because I run far. I AM A RUNNER because I say I am. And no one can tell me I'm not. 
~John Bingham, author and runner 

I have been running for about 15 years now.  I started thinking of myself as a runner about 4 years ago.  I had already run some half marathons, but when people asked me, I would say, "I run."  I did not say, "I am a runner."  Somewhere along the way that changed.  I am not only a runner, now I am a marathoner!!

It doesn't matter if you've been running for decades or if today was your first run.  Say it with me now, "I AM A RUNNER."

M2T W6

I'm looking at my calendar and realizing I have a lot of things going on on Saturdays this Fall.  I've got to make the time for long runs, but they may have to happen during the week.  There will be a lot of juggling going on!

This is week six of training. After this week, race day will be 10 weeks away.

Most of your routine is the same this week, with two days of rest, two easy runs, one run on hills, and a marathon-pace run. Your long run will inch up to 18 miles.

Sunday:  Rest Day
Monday: 5 Miles Easy w/5 Strides (pace 9:58 pace)
Tuesday:  6 Miles Hills (no planned pace)
Wednesday:  Rest
Thursday: 4 Miles w/2 Miles @ MP (marathon pace = 9:09)
Friday:  6 Miles Easy (pace 9:58)
Saturday:  18 Miles LSD  (pace 10:04-11:04)

Today's Run: 16 Miles of Music and Mind Games

Today's plan called for 16 miles, LSD.  Long slow distance is exactly what this one turned into.  I wanted to go faster, but I just don't have any speed right now.  My fastest mile was 10:18.  My slowest mile was #14, which I walked at 16:02.

After a few miles I realized I was not going to be fast so I altered my route.  If I can't be fast, I might as well build more endurance by running hills.  And that's when the mind games began...

Just before mile 7, I wanted to take a walk break.  I was wearing my iPod and decided I could walk after the current song ended.  Several songs, and almost a mile later, I was at a  local park and took a short walk and restroom break.

Then it really got going, the conversation between my mind and my legs:

"At the end of this song you can walk." 
"I wanna walk NOW."
"Please, pretty please, at the end of this song?" 
"How about we cut this one short?"

I was so tempted to turn this into a half marathon.  13.1 miles is a lot!  But, I need to get back to running LONG distances.  Eleven weeks from today I will be lining up for the Santa Barbara Marathon, not the Santa Barbara HALF Marathon.  It was time to pull out a little something from cycling great Jens Voigt:

Mind over matter (or legs) won this round.  I finished my 16 miles.  It wasn't pretty.  It wasn't fast.  But I did it.

16.03 miles in 3:09:15, 11:48 pace.

Ave HR 141
Max HR 159
Calories burned 1506

M2T W5 Results

Another week in the books.

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result: 4.27 miles in 52:25, 12:16 pace
Since I had taken Saturday off, I went ahead and ran on Sunday.  I had a good pace going, then caught up with my friend, Joe, and walked with him for about a half a mile.  Joe is so cool, he's 75 and walks or hikes every single day.

Monday: 4 Miles Easy w/4 Strides (pace 9:58 pace)
Result:  Rested

Tuesday:  7 Miles Hills (no planned pace)
Result:  7.05 miles in 1:19:35, 11:18 pace.  This was my best run all week.

Wednesday:  Rest
Result:  Rested

Thursday: 4 Miles w/2 Miles @ MP (marathon pace = 9:09)
Result:  4.18 miles in 46:04, 11:02 pace.  I never got even close to marathon pace.  I had no speed in my legs until I got home and got on the bike and rode 9.92 miles in 1:05:06, 9.1 mph.  This was on the trail.  It was the fastest I've ridden to the turn around point so far this year.

Friday:  4 Miles Easy (pace 9:58)
Result:  Rode 8.77 miles in 43:05, 12.2 mph

Saturday:  16 Miles LSD  (pace 10:04-11:04)
Result:  16 miles in 3:09:15, 11:48 pace. 
I'll write a separate post about this run. Not the pace I was hoping for this morning, but I still got in 16 miles.

Total planned miles:  35
Running:   31.53
Cycling:  18.69
Total miles:  50.22

Run Inspired. Run SBIM

I got an email today from Gemini Timing, the company that issued the timing chips for the O2O Marathon.  I've gotten several, but this one is for the Santa Barbara International Marathon ~ my next marathon!

I love the description:

Located in the "American Riviera" in Santa Barbara, Southern California, this point-to-point course winds through the scenic Goleta Valley with it's lush lemon and avocado orchards, skirts the exclusive community of Hope Ranch, winds through the historic Santa Barbara mesa area, and finishes with a stunning two mile descent to the sparkling Pacific Ocean along the Santa Barbara coastline. The Select Staffing Santa Barbara International Marathon will treat entrants to a striking backdrop of mountains and sea in this beautiful destination city. 

Event Highlights:
Fast and scenic course   USAT&F certified/sanctioned 
Boston Qualifier 
Perfect winter running weather 

Beautiful destination 

Registration Includes:

Goodie Bag  T-Shirt  Personalized bib (thru Oct 1, 2012)  
Unique Finisher Medal 
Medical Care - First Aid Stations 
Fluid and Fuel Stations 
Entrance into Health and Fitness EXPO

I've been kinda dreading tomorrow's 16 miler, this is just what I needed - a reminder of what I'm training for.  Gotta run inspired!

Quote of the Day

I love the fact that not many people can say 'Oh, I went out and ran 20 miles today.' I love how much dedication it takes and how much you learn a lot about yourself, your physical and mental limits. There's just something about it.
~Shalane Flanagan, 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathoner

 Tomorrow morning.  16 miles.  Anyone want to join me?

Sore in a Good Way

For the past couple of weeks I've been whining about my self inflicted injury.  You're probably as tired of reading about it as I am writing about it.  Running has not been fun.AT.ALL.  I don't like injuries and avoid them as often as possible.

Today I am SO sore, but in a good way!  I'm sore because I was able to run 7 miles of hills yesterday.  I was able to push my muscles and they are telling me about it today.

I posted this quote about a month ago:

Relish the bad training runs. Without them it's difficult to recognize, much less appreciate, the good ones.
~Pat Teske

 Two weeks of bad training runs are forgotten after one great run!

Today's Run ~ 7 Miles Hills

I had such a good run this morning.  I think I picked every hard hill in the neighborhood and ran it!  We have so many hills that it's easy to plan a hilly route.  We have three extremely tough hills that Les and I call "walls" due to their steepness.  I ran up two of them and down the third this morning. 

My personal pace goal for hills is under 12 minutes a mile. Today, my average was 11:18.  This was faster than last week's run on the trail.  I'm not sure it was entirely due to the terrain, either.  Last week I ran 2.5 miles up, then 2.5 down.  Today I had a lot of up and down throughout the entire run.

Mile 2 was my slowest mile.  But look at the steepness!  First I ran up the Flanagan wall, which is about a quarter of a mile with over a 10% grade. Then towards the end of that mile I hit a paved utility road that we have nick named "Water Tower Wall" because it goes up to a water tank.  This has an average of 11.9% grade with some sections of over 20%.  My heart rate maxed out at 166 BPM on that part.

7.05 miles in 1:19:35, 11:18 pace.

Ave HR 148
Max HR 166
Calories burned 698

P.S.  I have lost interest in the Photo A Day challenge, so won't be continuing with it.  I really enjoyed it for my other blog, but not so much for this one.  I want to get back to blogging about running, not worrying about taking a picture that makes sense for the day.

M2T W5

Week 5 already!  Picking up the pace a bit on the easy days.

This is week five of training. After this week, race day will be 11 weeks away. This week you’ll have two easy runs, two days of rest, a goal-marathon-pace run, and one day on hills. Your long run will be 16 miles.

This week you’ll try strides. Adding strides to any easy run activates fast-twitch muscle fibers, improves coordination and leg turnover, and preps the body for speed. On Thursday you’ll have your first marathon-pace run. Throughout the program, these runs will give you a chance to practice the speed you’re hoping to hit in the race.

Sunday:  Rest Day
Monday: 4 Miles Easy w/4 Strides (pace 9:58 pace)
Tuesday:  7 Miles Hills (no planned pace)
Wednesday:  Rest
Thursday: 4 Miles w/2 Miles @ MP (marathon pace = 9:09)
Friday:  4 Miles Easy (pace 9:58)
Saturday:  16 Miles LSD  (pace 10:04-11:04)

August 18th ~ Inside

Lots of car time today.

M2T W4 Results

I had a much better week!  I didn't follow the plan exactly, but I felt like I was back on track.  I'm really enjoying riding my bike a couple times a week on easy days.

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result:  Walked 4.41 miles in 1:19:09, 15:44 pace.  I realized that I am not a fast walker, I have a hard time staying focused on moving fast when I walk.

Monday: 4 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result:  Rode 10.06 miles on the trail in 1:05:38, 9.2 mph

Tuesday:  5 Miles Hills (no planned pace)
Result:  5.03 miles on the trail, in 57:54, 11:30 pace

Wednesday:  Time Trial
Result:  Rested.  I hadn't taken a day off since last Friday and my feet were a little sore from the trail.

Thursday: 4 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result:  Rode 8.77 miles easy in 43:33, 12.1 mph

Friday:  4 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result: 10.00 miles in 1:50:46, 11:04 pace.
I knew I couldn't do my long run on Saturday, so I switched it to Friday this week.
I feel like I'm repeating myself, but my left leg is still not completely healed from that silly cartwheel!  I was okay for the first 5 miles or so, then my left leg, from the glute to my calf, got really tight and painful.  I stopped to stretched several times and that helped some.


Saturday:  10 Miles LSD  (pace 10:04-11:04)
Result:  Rested.  I have to be on the road before 7:00, so switching my long run to yesterday was the best option.

Total planned miles:  30
Running/Walking:   19.44
Cycling:  18.83
Total miles:  38.27

August 17th ~ Faces

I'm not going to post any new photos today.  I had a tough 10 mile run (left leg hurt for the last 5 miles) and I needed a reminder of what the face of a marathoner looks like.  And today's Quote of the Day from Runner's World is also timely.

Even when you have gone as far as you can, and everything hurts, and you are staring at the specter of self-doubt, you can find a bit more strength deep inside you, if you look closely enough. 
~ Hal Higdon, runner and author 

 This is my "I'm ready to start my first marathon" face...

This is my "I just crossed the starting line of my first marathon" face...

This is either my "game" face or my "pain" face...  at about mile 13...

This is my "I just crossed the finish line of my first marathon!!!" face...

I know that not all training runs are going to be good ones, but they will pay off in November.

August 16th ~ Food

Today's Photo A Day challenge is "food." I could just take one picture of something I eat today, but since I'm trying to do a better job tracking what I eat, I'm going for full disclosure here.  I plan to document my entire day's worth of food.  Look for updates as the day progresses.

I went for an easy bike ride this morning - 8.77 miles in 43:33, 12.1 mph.  Burned 356 calories, earning 3 activity points.  My daily points for the day = 26, so now I've got 29 points if I want them.

7:00 a.m. Breakfast 

3 ingredients - light vanilla soy milk (2 cups/4 p+), Recoverite (1 scoop/2 p+), and frozen strawberries (1 cup/1 p+).  7 points plus total
This may seem a little high in points to some people, but this is a power breakfast!  I will not be hungry again until lunch time.
 

12:00 Lunch

Fajita, leftover from Tuesday (5 p+), tortilla chips (4p+), salsa (0 p+), fruit salad (0p+), and tea (0p+)

And a little chocolate.  2 Hershey's minis (2 p+)

Total points for lunch = 11.  Points left after lunch = 11.  We now enter the danger zone.  The time when I am most tempted to snack, from 2:00 to 5:00.

3:55 Snack
Baby carrots and grape tomatoes (0 p+).   I've stayed busy all afternoon and stayed away from the kitchen, but I needed a little something to tide me over.

5:30 Dinner
Fresh & Easy Apple Chicken Salad with dried cranberries, mandarin oranges and cucumbers (6p+).  My own dressing - light raspberry vinaigrette, 3 Tbsp. (2 p+). This salad is huge!

The dressing that came with the salad was a whopping 9 points!  Definitely not worth it.  Especially when I can swap light dressing and have a No Pudge Brownie for dessert (3 p+)

Total for the day - 29 p+.  The kitchen is now closed ;)

August 15th ~ Ready

These little feet were ready for a break today. They were sore from yesterday's 5 miles of dirt, ruts, and rocks. I need better trail running shoes!

August 14th ~ Arrow

This is the sign at the Las Llajas Trailhead.

Arrows indicate who has the right of way.

I ran the trail this morning.  My plan called for 5 miles of hills. I drove to the trail, something I don't usually do, but I wanted to do all my running on the trail this morning.  It's basically uphill for the first half, with one stinger at the very end.

I was hoping for about a 12 minute pace, here's how it went:

Mile #1:  11:02
Mile #2:  12:27
Mile #3, first half:  6:28 (12:56 pace)
Over all pace for the first half: 11:59

I turned around at 2.5 miles, so the second half was downhill:  5:14 (10:28 pace)
Mile #4:  10:41
Mile #5:  11:39

Total 5.03 miles in 57:54, 11:30 pace.

Ave HR 151
Max HR 162
Calories burned: 493

This was my first good run in a week.  My leg isn't completely healed, but definitely getting better.

Cool iPhone App

If you are a Weight Watchers member, or ever have been, you are familiar with counting points.  I first joined WW in 1997, lost 30 pounds, became a life time member, and promptly quit going to meetings!  I did okay on my own for a while, but I only learned to lose weight and hadn't learned to maintain.  When I lost my Mom to breast cancer in October of 1998, all desire to focus on healthy eating went out the window.

Fast forward to 2005.  I had gained all the weight back and more.  I finally went back to WW in October of that year and again lost the weight to get back to life time status.  I have maintained, pretty closely, since that time.

Since my marathon, my miles have dropped off, but my eating hasn't.  We also took a vacation (deep fried Twinkies) and had company.  So I'm not real happy with my weight these days.  Over the weekend I decided it was time to get serious about tracking my food again.  But I really didn't want to actually write stuff down.  I searched the App store on Saturday and found many Points trackers.  The only freebie was Weight Watchers, but it's not truly free.  You use part of the site, but must pay a monthly fee to use the tracker.  I finally installed Pts. Plus Diary by Frippware for $1.99 and so far I really like it.

I did a full post, with screen shots on my other blog (HERE), but just in case there are any readers who don't read that blog, I'll put it in a nutshell.  I really like it!  Very simple to use and if you used the old Points system, you can use this app to track that way, too.  Here's the home screen:

Do you track your food on a daily basis?  If so, what do you use ~ paper or electronic?

August 13th ~ Simple

It really doesn't get any simpler than running.  Just tie em up and go!

These may look like a pair of kid's shoes, but they're really mine ~ size 5.

August 12th ~ Spoon

In my morning shake.

M2T W4

I don't plan to run until at least Tuesday, depending on how I feel.  I'll keep riding  my bike because that doesn't seem to cause any extra pain.

This is week four of training. After this week, race day will be 12 weeks away. You'll have three easy runs, one day on hills, and one day of rest. Your long run will drop back to 10 miles so you can recover from the mileage buildup so far.

On Wednesday, you’ll do a one-mile time trial. A time trial can help you track your fitness and set realistic race goals. It's best to do this at a track, because it's flat and provides the most accurate measurement of distance. If you don’t have access to a track, you can do your trial on a one-mile stretch of road.  

Sunday:  Rest Day
Monday: 4 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Tuesday:  5 Miles Hills (no planned pace)
Wednesday:  Time Trial
Thursday: 4 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Friday:  4 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Saturday:  10 Miles LSD  (pace 10:04-11:04)

August 11th ~ Purple

I could have taken dozens of pictures today, purple is my favorite color.  Even the clouds were purple as the sun was coming up, but I couldn't take my hands of the handlebars to take a picture.  So here are the socks I wore this morning instead...

My Aching Gluteus Maximus and M2T W3 Results

As the week has progressed, I noticed that the pain from my cartwheel was not so much in my hamstring but in my left gluteus maximus, which of course is connected to the hamstring.  I tried running on Thursday and it was extremely painful, I pretty much hurt all day and woke up in pain on Friday.  Not good.  I took Friday off, and I knew a long run this morning was out of the question.  As much as I wanted to run, I know I need to let this thing heal.  Unfortunately, only time can do that. 

As you will see, I didn't follow the plan at all this week.  I knew Sunday and Monday would be off plan since our company was still here, but the rest of the week wasn't any better.  I had two rest days and my total miles were on target, but I didn't accomplished a thing in running. 

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result:  9.32 mile trail ride in 1:01:22, 9.1 mph
Since I took Saturday off last week, I decided not to rest on Sunday.

Monday: 3 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result:  1.67 mile trail walk in 35:23, 21:13 pace.  This was with my 11 year old niece.
Also participated in 3+ hours of "Backyard Olympics" mainly water division.  With one very poorly executed cartwheel.

Tuesday:  5 Miles Hills (no planned pace)
Result:  Rested.  I really needed this rest day!

Wednesday:  Rest Day
Result:  8.77 mile easy ride in 45:50, 11.5 mph

Thursday: 5 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result:  3.8 miles in 55:01, 14:28 pace.

Friday:  5 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result:  Rested

Saturday:  14 Miles LSD  (pace 10:04-11:04)
Result:  10.14 mile trail ride in  1:07:46, 9.0 mph
The trail was fantastic this morning!  I headed out at 5:45 to beat the heat and I also beat most of the walkers, runners, hikers, cyclists and dogs.  The ride up was completely in the shade.  It took me about 45 minutes to get to my turnaround point and less than half that to get back home.  Wonder why...

Planned miles:  32
Running/Walking:  5.47
Cycling:  28.23
Total miles:  33.70

August 10th ~ Ring

I wracked my brain trying to come up with a "ring" that had to do with running.  The only thought I had was the Olympic logo with the five rings.  I looked in numerous magazines we have around the house and couldn't find a single picture of those rings.  I checked cereal boxes, too, and came up empty.

So, I had to come up with a "ring" picture and here it is, the chain ring on my bike!

I took several pictures of this, only to have Les tell me "that's the cassette."  Oops.

I haven't followed the Olympics very closely. The Women's and Men's marathons are interesting to me. It's amazing that they are more than TWICE as fast as me! I really cannot imagine running 26.2 miles in under 2 1/2 hours. The men race on Sunday and I'm sure they'll be even faster.

What do the rings represent on the Olympic logo, anyway?  According to Wikipedia, it was originally designed in 1912 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games "...the six colours [including the flag’s white background] thus combined reproduce the colours of all the nations, with no exception. The blue and yellow of Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the tri- colours of France, England and America, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Hungary, the yellow and red of Spain next to the novelties of Brazil or Australia, with old Japan and new China. Here is truly an international symbol."

Another truly international symbol?

Source

 

August 9th ~ Messy

Because you can never have too many pairs of running shoes!  This closet can get pretty messy.  Top left corner is a box with a new pair just waiting to go for a run...

I tried to go for a run this morning, but I'm still pretty sore.  I noticed I was favoring my left leg too much, so my form was completely off.  I ended up doing a mix of running and walking.  My plan was 5 miles easy at 10:04 pace, which would have been about 50 minutes.  I decided to go for time instead of distance.  Ended up going 3.8 miles in 55:01.

August 8th ~ Glasses

I wear the Tifosi Slip glasses - Les got them for my birthday this year.  They are made by Tifosi and called "Slip" because there are three interchangeable lenses that slip in and out.

I have used the Smoke lens 90% of the time, but as the weather changes and the mornings are darker, the AC Red will come in handy.  You may be wondering if I'll ever use the clear.  Yes, on morning winter rides when I don't need any sun protection, but do need to protect my eyes from trail debris.

Update on my hamstring:  I was able to do an easy bike ride this morning.  I still have some pain, but I am much, much better.  After the ride I got in the pool to cool off and did some light stretching.  I plan to go for an easy run tomorrow and see how it goes.

August 7th ~ 8 O'Clock

It's 8:00 and my poor Garmin has no data for today.  There's nothing wrong with my Garmin.  It's fully charged and ready to go.  My hamstring says otherwise.  It is SO sore! All because of one cartwheel.  I'm hoping I'll be able to at least go for any easy bike ride tomorrow, but for today, I'm resting it as much as possible.

August 6th ~ Writing and Note to Self

Today is Lance and Hannah's last day with us.  They fly home tonight, arriving around 5 o'clock tomorrow morning.  Tomorrow is also Hannah's first day of sixth grade.  So her request for today, "We have to have lots of fun because it's my last day of summer vacation."

It's gonna be a scorcher here, so we took an early morning walk on Las Llajas Canyon.  The high school cross country team was just finishing up.  We took a side trail and did a little writing...

We've spent some time in the pool, swimming, cannon balling, splashing, and laughing.  Hannah then wanted to do cartwheels.  My left hamstring may never be the same....

Note to self:  YOU are no longer 11.  Don't try cartwheels just because your 11 year old niece does!

August 5th ~ Logo and M2T W3

The Hammer Nutrition logo.  We have a cupboard full of Hammer Gel, Perpetuem, Heed, Recoverite and more.  We are VIPs, because we are on the auto ship program.  I got this jersey FREE after one of our orders.  I love wearing cycling jerseys when I go on long runs because of the pockets in the back.  iPod in one, sunglasses in another, and water bottle in the third!


This is week three of training. After this week, race day will be 13 weeks away. You'll maintain the same routine as last week, with three easy runs, one day on hills, and two days of rest. This week's long run is 14 miles.

It's a big milestone, and it may be the first time you really feel as if marathon training is officially under way. Make sure you set aside enough time in your schedule so you don't feel rushed to finish the run and you have time to eat and rest afterward. Also, get your fueling strategy set ahead of time. On any run longer than 75 minutes, energy gels or sports drinks will help you maintain a steady level of energy.

Sunday:  Rest Day
Monday: 3 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Tuesday:  5 Miles Hills (no planned pace)
Wednesday:  Rest Day
Thursday: 5 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Friday:  5 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Saturday:  14 Miles LSD  (pace 10:04-11:04)

August 4th ~ Where You Sat and M2T W2 Results

This is where I sit when I get back from a run or a ride.  That's my computer and Garmin ~ I upload all data so I can analyze it.  I'm just a geek that way!  I'm sitting here right now staring out at the patio and watching it rain.  Big, huge drops are hitting our pool.  It never does this in the summer, so I'm a little shocked by it!  I'm already planning to ride the trail tomorrow, it will be in perfect condition after just a little rain.

We've had company since Wednesday night - Les' brother, Lance, and his daughter, Hannah.  Les and Lance had lots of cycling plans, while Hannah and I had lots of fun planned!  That meant I needed to rearrange some of my running, but I made it work.

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result:  Rested, sat in the car for 10 hours trying to get home from Santa Cruz.  There was a fire in Ventura (45 miles from home) and the 101 freeway was closed for several hours.  We finally turned around and took another way home.  Not my idea of a fun way to extend our vacation!

Monday: 4 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result:  Trail ride, 7.27 miles at 9.1 mph

Tuesday:  5 Miles Hills (no planned pace)
Result:  5.01 miles in 53:03, 10:35 pace.  I hammered the hills!

Wednesday:  Rest Day
Result:  Rested

Thursday: 5 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result:  5.03 in 47:37, 9:27 pace ~ I didn't take it so easy.


Friday:  5 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result:  12 miles in 2:03:01, 10:15 pace


Saturday:  12 Miles LSD  (pace 10:04-11:04)
Result:  Rested

Total planned miles:  31
Running:  22.04
Cycling:  7.27
Total:  29.31

I hadn't even notice, but I crossed the 1,000 mile mark for the year last week!

August 3rd ~ Coin

Today, I thought about flipping a coin to decide if I would run or not.  With company here, things are a little busy.  I ran hard yesterday, then spent the day in Santa Barbara, including a couple hours at the SB Zoo.  Lots of walking.  I won't be able to do my long run this weekend so my plan was to do it today.  Yeah, I really did think about flipping a coin.  Heads, I run.  Tails, I sleep in.

I'm not one who can ignore a detailed plan very easily.  A 12 mile run isn't one to ignore.  I also wanted to work on pacing myself better.  I want to run my second half as strongly as my first.  For me that means slowing it down a little at the beginning so I'll have something left at the end.  Here's how today's run went:

Mile #1:  10:00
Mile #2:  10:24
Mile #3:  9:49
Mile #4:  9:49
Mile #5: 10:04
Mile #6:  9:56
Mile #7:  10:47
Mile #8:  9:57
Mile #9:  10:32
Mile #10: 10:59
Mile #11:  9:42
Mile #12:  10:57

My fastest mile was 9:42 and my slowest was 10:59.  Only 77 seconds difference!  My first six miles took  one hour, my second six took one hour and three minutes.  Not bad at all.

12 miles in 2:03:01, 10:15 pace.  Planned pace was 10:04 to 11:04.  I was hoping for about 10:20 to 10:30.   Heads, I won!

August 2nd ~ One

One finisher's medal for my one marathon finish.  It was also my one marathon start, so as long as I finish each one I start, I'm good.  I am training for another one now!

Today I did one run of 5.03 miles in 47:37, 9:27 pace.  One mile was under 9 minutes, all the other ones were under 10.

Mile #1:  9:56
Mile #2:  9:30
Mile #3:  9:27
Mile #4:  8:55
Mile #5:  9:29

I pushed my two legs and my one heart pretty hard!

Ave HR 152
Max HR 165
Calories burned 509

August 1st (Photo a Day) ~ Outside

Just outside this gate is where my running begins. I'm so lucky to live where I can run outside year round.

Photo a Day Challenge August

I did the Photo a Day Challenge for July on my other blog.  I'm going to try it here for the month of August, but each picture has to have a running theme.  Here's the list if anyone is interested in joining the fun!

Original post at FatMumSlim here.